A little
About Me
My name is Vanessa and I am the driving force behind Write On.
Write On was founded in 2017, but it was during my student days in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that I noticed that friends and family made too little use of (corporate) letters. One thing I learned in the Netherlands is, don’t act like an ostrich and ignore official government messages. You will be sorry. A simple letter can help you avoid a headache for a whole year.
Some people call me Ness. This is because of a hobby called Soup at Ness, that got out of hand. This pop-up soup restaurant forced me to think about my online visibility while using as little money as possible. By attending various webinars, reading blogs, and participating in different online communities, I learned more about SEO, online marketing, and strategic communication. Soup at Ness’ Facebook page gained 2000+ likes without paying a dollar in ads. Click here to get an impression of the pop-up soup restaurant that changed my life.
I hold a Bachelor of Laws and have worked for, among others, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Common Court of Justice for the islands in the Dutch Kingdom. The combination with my legal background, helps me look at my texts from this perspective.
My two native tongues are Papiamentu and Dutch, as my roots are both in Curaçao and the Netherlands. I am descended from Surinamese and Venezuelan grandparents, who had settled on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. This is one of the reasons why it’s natural for me to take different cultures and ways into account while communicating. I believe correct self-expression is very important and maybe even a little necessary. Writing plays a significant role in this. It doesn’t matter what I write. I always consider the tone, the reader, and the timing of my message.
I hope you find something on this website that will help you move forward in your journey.
Get in touch if you have a question or simply leave a friendly message.
Credits:
Art by Chota_13 (2020); photo by D. de Haseth
It is never too late to be what you might have been
– George Eliot
Why Read on
With my blog, Read on, I want to get as many people in the Dutch Kingdom as possible, on the ‘writing train’. Writing is a skill that enriches our lives in multiple areas.
I believe that we are missing out on the benefits of a talent that we can develop with little money and simple tools. A pen and a piece of paper is all you need. If you haven’t already, start with writing down how you are feeling today and what you can do, to feel better the rest of the day.
All articles are written in my two native languages Papiamentu & Dutch. The unique mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and even some French words create the creole language we call Papiamentu (for Aruba Papiamento). You can hear this language mostly in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The Dutch language is spoken in the Netherlands (Europe), Belgium, Suriname (South America), and in the Dutch Caribbean.
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The idea is to write it so that people hear it, and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart
– Maya Angelou
Why Write On
I believe it still happens too often that people use sentences such as: ‘Actually I meant…‘ or ‘I’d rather have said that..‘. The message you want to communicate is important and even more essential is that people understand your message correctly.
In my opinion anyone can write, but I also understand that tasks sometimes need to be outsourced to keep your focus on other important matters. My business, Write On assists others in writing down what they really want to say. In addition, small details such as keywords, tone, medium, audience, and timing play an important part in my work.
Have something to write? Let’s talk!